ADVERTISERS HIT THE ROAD WITH BUYS ON BUS LINES GREYHOUND PURSUES BARTER SETUPS WORTH UP TO $3 MILLION

Bus advertising is taking to the open road as Greyhound Lines finalizes barter agreements with AT&T Corp. and Reader's Digest Association.

AT&T is seeking to target Hispanics through particular routes, while Reader's Digest will have seven buses for a year.

Greyhound also will begin selling space on its fleet of 2,500 buses nationally. Stuart Robinson, VP-marketing, said he expects to soon sign a paying advertiser for 1,000 buses over three months.

Each bus will cost $4,000 monthly, in addition to another $11,000 or so for the vinyl wrap.

BARTER DEALS IN THE WORKS

Through its media buying agency, the Richards Group, Dallas, Greyhound is negotiating additional barter deals with other media outlets it uses, including radio networks ABC, CBS and Westwood One.

"We're looking to trade $2 million to $3 million," Mr. Robinson said.

Also selling space on its fleet is Peter Pan Bus Lines, which operates in the Northeast. Space is being sold through New England Transit Advertising, Webster, Mass., for $8,000 a month on a six-month minimum.

"Greyhound being an old-time, well-recognized carrier.... will help open this type of advertising," said Scott Campbell, president of New England Transit Advertising.

NETA also handles sales for 15 New England transit systems as well as Roadmark, a consortium of 11 trailer trucking companies.

LESS UPBEAT VIEW

A less sanguine view of highway advertising comes from Media Vehicles, Atlanta, formed in April to sell space on local, city-based delivery trucks.

"A number of people have tried this for years, but advertisers won't buy it," said Charlie Young, CEO. "They were made to help the trucker or sign maker but not the marketer."

Though there have been a num-ber of local "rolling bill-board" media springing up recently, Me-dia Vehicles plans to en-compass major Eastern cities by the end of the year. It now has 300 trucks under contract in Atlanta; and Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, Fla. Later this year, it will add New York, Boston and Philadelphia.